Zucchini “Pasta” Salad with Feta and Tomatoes

For those of you who never liked zucchini much (raw or otherwise), we hope to change your mind with this dish. We love it because it is super-fresh tasting, simple, and comes together in minutes. Preparing the zucchini to look like pasta gives it a great texture and hearty taste, which is pretty incredible since zucchini is one of the lowest calorie foods in existence! Along with the tomatoes, this dish packs an impressive amount of vitamin C and folate into your day. We humans, unlike our animal counterparts, are unable to synthesize vitamin C so we depend on dietary sources. Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant, in collagen formation, neurotransmitter synthesis, detoxification, cholesterol breakdown, immunocompetence, and many other functions. Folate is important for cell growth, especially for cells with rapid turnover such as in our GI tract, and protein metabolism.

With all that great knowledge in mind, Bon appetit!

Ingredients

fresh zucchini (green squash)

1/2 Cup

tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons

feta

Juice of a quarter of a lemon (use more for a tangier taste)

1 Teaspoon

vinegar (can be plain or herb flavored, such as tarragon vinegar)

1 Tablespoon

extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkling of fresh parsley and/or mint, if available

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash and dry the zucchini. Using a peeler, grater, or mandoline, grate the zucchini into long spaghetti like strips.